Laptop pc for playing DCS

[Chumpy]

Looking at new pc has to be a laptop. Any one recommend anything?

[MILFshake69]

https://uk.pcmag.com/laptops/6014/the-best-gaming-laptops
https://www.tomsguide.com/best-picks/best-gaming-laptops
https://www.pcgamer.com/best-gaming-laptop/

[SSerponi76]

IMHO for DCS forget the laptop and go for a desktop.
If you have no other option than a laptop then forget DCS and go for any other kind of games.

Seriously, a laptop that allows you play dcs decently can cost a fortune, much more than a desktop. Moreover it will become obsolete quicker and there is no way to upgrade (except maybe some extra ram or SSD space).
Gaming laptops ar good for many kind of games, but for DCS I'd prefer a desktop.

[van Leeuwenhoek's mustache]

I wouldn't get a laptop for hardcore gaming, but if you absolutely can't get a desktop, then here are some guidelines (specific for DCS):

- Modern multicore CPU with the highest single core performance possible (non-negotiable)
- Beefiest GPU you can get, with 8+GB graphics memory
- 32+GB RAM (non-negotiable)
- 1+TB SSD (non-negotiable)
- Screen refresh rate higher than 60Hz (not absolutely required, but recommended)
- Plenty of USB ports
- Liquid hydrogen to cool it 😅

Just out of curiosity... why does it have to be a laptop?
If it's a matter of portability, you'll still have to carry the HOTAS (and the other peripherials) around, won't you?

[Kirpano]

This is my pc that runs DCS without problem 4K/60FPS , with MSAA turned off, visibility max, ultra except water:
Intel Core i7+ 8700 4.6GHz,
RAM 16GB DDR4, (absolute fine for any sort of gaming)
Geforce GTX1080Ti 11GB,
SSD 1TB (it is that big so I can have more "big" games installed) my DCS (owning majority of modules) is 150GB.

for fulHD (1080p/60Hz) it is overkill PC.

I would say:
16GB is enough (of course more i better, but most game alone will not use more that 8-10GB)
but in laptop you will be mostly limited by CPU,
I would go for some very good GPU at least 2080/1080ti or more.
500GB SSD is more than enough.
One USB-C port is enough. I personaly use "USB-C to 4 USB" HUB and it all takes - TrackIr, Warthog joy, Warthog throtle, Saitek Pedals and no issues.
no need to be running DCS more than 60FPS.
One note, if you plan to play DCS online forget that you will get close to 60FPS due to servers etc.My 60FPS pc singleplay is running 30-40FPS online, so there is that.

[Emme]

This will get quite expensive and is not really worth the investment tbh as this would cost twice as much as a desktop PC that would run DCS just fine. Also the small display size will not make you very happy with spotting enemy. Maybe not your answer, but I'd suggest to think about getting a desktop PC for DCS world and invest the rest of your money on a good Hotas and TrackIR!

Next thing is you want to run DCS on a m2 nvme ssd at all costs! A Laptop with a decent nvme ssd that can perform DCS at least at 1080p will be very expensive. I doubt that you'll find something good below 1500€. For that money you can build a high-end gaming desktop PC.

[Chumpy]

Mr "FrogFoot" has gone from ym flyable planes. IS this a beta thing? does frogfoot only work in the previous version?

[Chumpy]

I am Looking At $1800 AUD laptops. At this price a desktop is hardly better because i need tp buy a screen and case keybord etc. This all comes with a laptop. Soon things will get cheaper also once this new stuff comes out.

[startrekmike]

Originally posted by Chumpy:

I am Looking At $1800 AUD laptops. At this price a desktop is hardly better because i need tp buy a screen and case keybord etc. This all comes with a laptop. Soon things will get cheaper also once this new stuff comes out.

I don't want to be a bummer here but on your budget, I wouldn't count on getting a laptop that will be decent for DCS. You might find one that can run DCS at low(ish) settings but unless you start getting into the 3k mark (AUD), you are going to have a somewhat tough time with DCS.

Now don't get me wrong. For a lot of normal, mainstream games, a mid to high-end gaming laptop may not always be the best but they generally will work fine. For DCS, it is a different thing. DCS is extremely demanding on even high-end desktops and since laptops are at a natural disadvantage due to their basic design (which will always make them slower), this makes buying a laptop with DCS in mind a pretty tricky thing.

Now, to be honest. A desktop that can run DCS effectively will ALWAYS be cheaper than a equivalent laptop. If your issue is having to buy a monitor, mouse, keyboard, and the like, you may want to actually crunch the numbers because I am willing to bet you will be able to build a entire setup (including all the extras) and still end up cheaper than a laptop equivalent. Seriously. These days, a keyboard, mouse, and monitor are not even all that expensive unless you want something very specific.

The final issue you should think about is how the design of the laptop itself will impact your flight sim experience. If you were to get a 3k+ gaming laptop and got really, really into DCS, you are inevitably going to start looking into stuff like TrackIR (because running DCS in VR on a laptop will need a extremely beefy, extremely expensive laptop to be satisfying). If you do get some kind of IR head tracking, you will find that a laptop screen doesn't really sit very high and won't be a good platform for the IR camera. Likewise. If you end up getting a HOTAS and other stuff, it will be hard to work around the shape of a laptop since you can't really manipulate the position of the monitor in relation to the rest of it.

If space is not a limiting factor, I strongly discourage you from getting a laptop for gaming. You can get a better desktop and all the other stuff you will need for cheaper and get a lot more for your money.

[Emme]

https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/cty/pdp/spd/alienware-area51m-r2-laptop?~ck=mn

[startrekmike]

Originally posted by Emme:

https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/cty/pdp/spd/alienware-area51m-r2-laptop?~ck=mn

In AUD, that roughly translates into more than $3000 for the entry level in that lineup. The worst part is that even if you were to spend the nearly $6500 AUD required to get the higher end model, you would still only be getting something that is roughly equivalent to a modern mid/high tier desktop while paying thousands more for the laptop form-factor.

For the OP's budget, a laptop is probably the worst way to go in terms of overall cost.

[Emme]

Originally posted by startrekmike:

Originally posted by Emme:

https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/cty/pdp/spd/alienware-area51m-r2-laptop?~ck=mn

In AUD, that roughly translates into more than $3000 for the entry level in that lineup. The worst part is that even if you were to spend the nearly $6500 AUD required to get the higher end model, you would still only be getting something that is roughly equivalent to a modern mid/high tier desktop while paying thousands more for the laptop form-factor.

For the OP's budget, a laptop is probably the worst way to go in terms of overall cost.

Absolutely agree. But it's OP's money and decision in the end. At least someone told him that it's going to be a bad idea.

[<SYNCH>Syncalibur]

I wonder why the one or other don't recommend a laptop. I play DCS on a 3 year old gaming-laptop, all settings full up in the game and I'm quite satisfied (i7 7000, nvidia1070, 32gb ram, running DCS on hdd, because I got another game reserved for the SSD already). Sometimes there are a little bit long loading times, but I can live with that. The price I payed was about 2000eur for that one...

[Emme]

Because for 2000€ you will have a current high-end gaming pc without making any compromise. Even having DCS on a m2 ssd will easily half your loading times. If you're going for the best possible AMD setup it will cost you around 1200€. So OP would have enough money left to spend on a monitor and peripheral devices. Even VR would still be in the price range. And the next time he needs an upgrade he just changes the GPU instead of buying a whole new system.

[Ernesto de Castilho]

Originally posted by SSerponi76:

IMHO for DCS forget the laptop and go for a desktop.
If you have no other option than a laptop then forget DCS and go for any other kind of games.

Seriously, a laptop that allows you play dcs decently can cost a fortune, much more than a desktop. Moreover it will become obsolete quicker and there is no way to upgrade (except maybe some extra ram or SSD space).
Gaming laptops ar good for many kind of games, but for DCS I'd prefer a desktop.

I fly in a G3 3590, i7, 16GB, 1660ti, high settings in 1080p, solid FPS even in MP, Syria map.

I like desktops, but you can fly very nice in a modest gamming laptop.

[Ernesto de Castilho]

Originally posted by Soup Chewer:

I wouldn't get a laptop for hardcore gaming, but if you absolutely can't get a desktop, then here are some guidelines (specific for DCS):

- Modern multicore CPU with the highest single core performance possible (non-negotiable)
- Beefiest GPU you can get, with 8+GB graphics memory
- 32+GB RAM (non-negotiable)
- 1+TB SSD (non-negotiable)
- Screen refresh rate higher than 60Hz (not absolutely required, but recommended)
- Plenty of USB ports
- Liquid hydrogen to cool it 😅

Just out of curiosity... why does it have to be a laptop?
If it's a matter of portability, you'll still have to carry the HOTAS (and the other peripherials) around, won't you?

You don't need 32gb of ram with SSD. It's good in heavy MP missions, lots of assets, units... But it's far away of "non-negotiable", as 1TB SSD. You can live in DCS with half of this.